RUFC – Head-to-Head v Cheltenham

A few (and few is the key word here!) facts and figures about the Millers v the Robins

Rotherham United and Cheltenham Town have only met five times before – and all those times have been in the league, never in a cup competition.

The modern club of Cheltenham Town was founded in 1887, by local teacher, Albert Close White and spent its first three decades in local football before joining the Southern League in 1935. They were promoted to, what is now the Conference Leagues, in 1985 but seven years later were relegated. Another seven years passed and they were promoted back to the Conference and in 1999 got promotion to the Football League. In 2006 the Robins were promoted to League One via the play-offs and stopped there, albeit by the skin of their teeth, until last season when they were relegated to League Two.

When the Millers travelled to Whaddon Road earlier this season, the game ended one all. Adam Le Fondre scored on the stroke of half-time but couldn’t hang on and, with five minutes to go, Julian Alsop rescued a point for the home side.

This will be the Robins first trip to Don Valley but their last visit to Millmoor was a great victory for them. The Millers went in front from Marc Newsham on fourteen minutes and Ian Henderson doubled the lead eight minutes later. Kayode Odejayi pulled one back for the visitors before half time but straight from the second-half kick-off Steven Gillespie got the equaliser. Gillespie scored again ten minutes later and two minutes from time, John Melligan made it four-two to the visitors.